Max

Max is a Jew who is living in Germany during the WWII era.  He was a fighter at one point but the Nazi party has taken everything from him and his people, forcing him into a lifestyle of constant hunger and bitter cold basements.  Max despises the Nazi regime, and considering that fact that he spends the majority of his time in uncomfortable hiding,  he feels the imminence of war every day.  The Nazi subjugation of the Jews is what drives him into hiding.  Max perspectives are unique because he is the only closely followed Jewish character.  Many times throughout the story we hear Liesel and Rudy complain of hunger, but Max truly understands suffering in a way which they do not.  Max was once a fighter, even if he knew he would probably lose a fight he would do it for a chance at honor.  He is now a fighter for his own life and their is no honor to be gained, only his life to hold on to.  Max even swallowed his pride and went to the Hubermanns as a broken man asking for help.   I  like Max because he doesn't complain.  He is going through trials more tough than any of the other main characters can understand, but he still doesn't feel sorry for himself.

"Prisoner on Hell Planet"

On the first page of "Maus" we find out that Artie and his father are not very close.  We also learn that Artie's mother committed suicide at some point in the past. 

Writing the "Prisoner on Hell Planet" was Artie's way of expressing his inner anguish that he felt after his moms suicide.  The comic also gives a little insight on the relationship between Artie and his father.  At the bottom of the second page the father was crying and the narrator was expected to comfort him.  While being comforted it appears that the father is saying "mother..... mother...." instead of the Artie saying it.  This shows that Artie may have felt like his role with his father was backwards and that it should have been his father comforting him instead.  In the next box over the words "protect what you have" are written in small letters.   I believe that this is Artie's way of explaining that this was the point in which Vladek became the stereotypical miserly Jew.

Introduction

Hello class, my name is Dan Smith. To be perfectly honest it has been quite a while since I have read a full book, I believe the most recent to be the final Harry Potter book.  I spend the majority my free time playing guitar, listening to music, playing sports, and hanging out with friends.  Although I am currently majoring in political science, I plan on switching to pre-engineering.  The element of this class that I find most compelling is that I will be forced out of my comfort zone when it comes to certain contemporary/ diverse topics in society.  I am excited to compare and contrast my own beliefs with the ones presented to me and to ultimately put my own philosophy of life to the test.  Cultural diversity can be defined as the variety of social structures, beliefs, and strategies for adapting to situations in different parts of the world.  Cultural diversity is extremely important for society today because it allows for people to see, on a daily basis, the different options of lifestyles that are available to them.  I am expecting that through practice this class will further my critical thinking and evaluation skills.